Whistle



Mach 27, 1928.` 1,663,648

c. COOPER WHISTLE Filed Oct. A4, 1927 I .2713

@hw/ (voo/gez? Patented Mar, '27, 192s.

' resem t K cooPER, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WHISTLE'.

.applic-umana october e, i927. serial. ira-223,930.

The object ofthe invention is to provide improvements in whistles, and particularly in pneumatically actuated whistlesadapted for use upon railroad vehicles,- steam and 5 Diesel driven ships, boats, industrial plants, etc., where they are subjected to hard wear vand tear through all sortsjof weather conditions, from the sub-zero of winter to the intense heat of summer on the plains and l0 across. the deserts, and in service may be used substantially continuously for a long eriod or may be out of use for an equally ong time, but regardless of what the demands upon it may be, it is essential that the whistle shall functionuniformly wherever and whenever called upon to sound its particular note.

Another object therefore is to provide an improvement in the supporting of the vibra- 20 tory diaphragm together with a more positive and permanent means for adjusting the tension upon 'said diaphragm than has here tofore been possible.

A further object is to combine these features in combination with a more perfect air-tight joint between the sound amplifying portions of the device.

Still another. object has been to provide means in the form of a gasket or the like, adapted to minimize if not entirely prevent wear between the diaphragm-tensioning means and the diaphragm itself, and at the s'ame time to advantageously effect the resulting sound by separating the diaphragm from metallic contact with .its tensioning means, s`o that' the characteristic sound of the whistle depends practically entirely upon the characteristics of the diaphragm uninluenced by neighboring parts of the device, whereas if in metallic contact therewith would tend to impart their own characteristics to those of the. diaphragm with detrimental tonal results.

And a still further object is. to provide an. arrangement 4comprising the improved whistle in combination with a bracket for supportin said whistle, and which maintains the atter in such a, position that the accumulation of rain, snow and sleet therein is minimized, ,and is assisted in more freely flowing therefrom, than would be the case with the whistle and its horn or amplifier positioned horizontally as has been the custom.

With these objects in view the present n- Velevational view of the bracket indicated in vention comprises further details of construction and -operation which are fully brought out in the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in'which Fig. 1 is a vertical diametrical section of one embodiment of the invention and having a horn or amplifying member operatively connected thereto and supported by a bracket; Fig. 2 is an Fig.- 1; and Fig.v 3 is a plan view of the plate employed to impress upon the diaphragm 'a predetermined tension. .Referring to the drawings, a casing is provided, one portion of which comprises a plane wall 1, havin'g a central outlet aperture 2, surrounded by a cylindrical flange 3 which extends into said casing and terminates in a relativelynarrow edge li, while in the opposite direction said aperti' 'e is surrounded by a cylindrical iiange 5, provided with an enlarged bore @terminating inwardly in a shoulder 7, said enlarged bore in turn being still further enlarged and iIlternally threaded' at 8 and adapted to receive therein the externally threaded plug 9, which has an axial bore 10 of substantially the same diameter as"the enlarged bore 6. `A horn or sound-amplifying member, preferably of metal, is shown as comprising a substantially tubular' portion 11, terminatinof outwardly in'a bell-shaped section 12 and inwardly terminating in an annular lflange 13, while surrounding said tubular portion, adjacent to said last-named flange there. is a sleeve 14, preferably vlsweated or otherwise unitarily secured to said horn, and provided intermediate of its ends with a transversely U-shaped, circumferentially extending iange 15, "adapted to be squeezed tightly betweenthe inner Vend of the plug 9 and the adjacent shoulder 16 formed at the intersection of the enlargement 6 of the borel of the flange 5, with the greater enlargement 8-of said flange.

This construction provides a most positive air-tight, non-vibratory. joint on union between the horn and the casing. i

The casing section lis provided radially outwardly with a cylindrical'flange 17, pro- 105 viding a shoulder 18, surrounded by a further longitudinally extending flange 19. A second casing section comprises a substantially plane wall 2O provided centrally with a boss 21, having althreaded bore 22 pro- 110 vided radially outwardly with a conical ange 23 which terminates in a cylindrical flange 24, normally cooperating with the shoulder 18 to rmly position betweenA them the marginal portion of a relatively thin, preferably metallic diaphragm 25 and also provided with a radially extending flange 26, provided with enlarged apertures 27 through which extend, loosely, bolts 28, which at their smaller ends are in threaded engagement with corresponding apertures 29 in the ange 19 of the first section of I said casing.

Within the last-named casing section is, a plate, shown in detail in Fig. 3, and which preferably comprises a central concavo-con- Vex central portion/30, havinga central boss Y31 provided with an aperture 32, and said section being provided with any desired.

number of spaced apertures33 and term-inating radially outwardly in a circular edge portion 34, preferably rounded in cross section, and adapted to cooperate with said diaphragm between its peripheral support and the outlet flange 4 through the medium of ay manent union between said 'pin and said plate. U on its outer end, said pin is-pr0 vided wit a lock nut 39 and may also have a screwdriver-engaging slot 40, while removably secured `to the outer free end portion of said pin is a protective cap 41 of any suitable shape, but at its inner end 42 cooperating uniformly with the outer surfacev of the second casing section in order to provide a housing for said adjusting pin and lock nut.

It will also be noted that in order to operatively mount this device upon a vehicle (represented by the base line 43), a bracket is provided which` comprises a standard 44, having a bifurcated head 45, ada ted to reczive the central portion of the ilange 5 of said first casing` section which is secured in position by means of a yoke 46, attached tosaid bifurcated head,the receptacle provided by said head andl yoke combination bein cylindrical* and having an axis dispose at less than a right angle with the standard 44 of said bracket or in any other way which results in said' axis slanting at an angle with the horizon for the purpose of minimizing the amount of snow, rain and sleet which will enter the horn 11-'12 and particularly for facilitating the rapidity meshes hah which was?v therein Win he chained 1 nut 39 loosened, said pin is rotated in lany suitable manner, as for instance by engagement with a screwdriver or the like in thev slot 40, until the circumferential edge portion of the plate 30 bears indirectly against4 lthe diaphragm through the medium of the interposed annulary gasket- 35, and thereby places upon said diaphragm the proper tension to cause the same to produce theidesired tone or musical note when air under pressure is forced into said casing through a suitable pipe connection 47 by way of a greatlydecreased channel and aperture 48, air entering through said aperture increasing the pressure within said first casing sectionuntil the central portion of the diaphragm is.

raised from its seat and permits the excessI air pressure to pass there y and outwardly through the horn 11, after which the sound is amplified by the bell portion 12 of sald horn.

'llhe tension upon the diaphragm obviously causes the latter to becomev receded immediatelyupon the excess pressure in the casing being expended, but as the pressure thereupon immediatel j builds up again, the diaphragm is raise from its seat and a second pulsation forced outwardly through the horn. The rapidity of vibration of:y the diaphragm -measuring vibrations per second increases in proportion to thetension placed upon the diaphragm by the rigid plate 30 adjustably positioned by means of the pm 36 The proper adjustment is maintained .by Iagain tightening the lock nut 39 after which the cap 41 may be restored to its normal position as shown, and it is to be noted that by providing the plate 30 wlth a series of ,apertures 33 the vibration of the diaphragm is not retarded or damped to the extent l that it would be were an imperforate plate employed, since .the compression of the air to thefleft of the -dia liragm as viewed in Fig. 1 is equally distri utedthroughout the entire area of the second casing section 20` 21, instead bf merely between the diaphragm and tensioning plate as would otherwise be the case.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A whistle, comprising a casing, a diaphragm supported at its periphery by said casing', a concave member normally bearing against said diaphragm adjacent to said periphery, an adjusting pin rotatably connected to said member, and means adjustably connecting said pin to said casing to positively adjust the position of said member with respect to said casing, to maintain a predetermined tension upon said diaphragm.

2. A whistle, comprising a casing, a diaphragm supported at its periphery by said casing, a concave member normally bearing against said diaphragm adjacent to said periphery, an adjusting pin 'rotatably connected to said member, means adjustably connecting said pin to said casing tov positively adjust the position of said member with respect to said casing, to maintain a predetermined tension upon said diaphragm, and a gasket so positioned and operative to prevent/ direct contact between said diaphragm and said tensioning member.

3. A whistle, comprising a casing, a diaphragm supported at its periphery by said casing, a concave member normally bearing against said, diaphragm adjacent toy said periphery, an adjusting pin rotatably connected to 'said member, means adjustably connecting said pin to said casing 'to positively adjust the vposition of said member4 with respect to said casing, to'. maintain a predetermined tension upon said diaphragm, and a gasket so positioned and operative to prevent direct contact between said diaphragm and said tensioning vmember, said gasket being secured at its marginal portionA between said diaphragm and said casing. 4. A whistle, comprising a two-piece casing, one of which has an annular shoulder surrounded by a lange and the other of which has an annular flange in uniform relation with said shoulder within said first ange, a diaphragm having its periphery supported between said shoulder and cooperating second flange, said casing having an outlet surrounded by a ange normally bearing against the central region of said diaphragm, and a plate having air-equalizing passageways and cooperating in'such manner with said diaphragm between the margin and the central region of the latter to press said diaphragm positively againstsaid outlet flange.

5. A. whistle, comprising a two-plece casing, one of which has an annular shoulder surrounded by a liange and the other of which has an annular flange in uniform relation with said shoulder wi-thin said first bearing against the central region of said diaphragm, a plate having air-equalizing passageways and cooperating in such manner with said diaphragm between the mar- Igin and the central region of the latter to press said diaphragm positively'against said outlet flange, and a gasket secured at its outer margin between said diaphragm and second flange and extending radially inwardly between and separating said Adiaphragm from direct contact with said plate.

6. A whistle, comprising a two-piece casing, oneof which has an annular shoulder surrounded by a ilange and the other of which has an annularange in uniform relation with said shoulder within said first fiange, a diaphragm having'l its periphery supported between said shoulder and cooperating second flange, said casing having an outlet surrounded by a ange normally bearingagainst the central region 'of saidy diaphragm, a plate having air-equalizing passagewaysand cooperating in such manner with said diaphragm between lthemargin and the central region vof the latter to press said diaphragm positively against said outlet liange, a gasket securedat its outer mar- `gin between said diaphragm and second ange and extending radially inwardly between and separating said diaphragm from direct contact withsaid plate, and a threaded pin rotatably secured to said plate and adjustable with respectto said casing to provide an adjustable'positive tension upon said diaphragm.V

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

A "'Y COOPER. 

